Snap switch



`April l, 1924.`

F. WODITSCH SNAP SWITCH Filed Jan. 29. 1923 l INVENTOR Mm ATTORNEY FRANKVJODITSCH, 0F DETBJOET, MICHIGAN..

pplication filed January 29, 1923, Serial No. 615,610.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, FRANK 1ilvlonrrsorr, a citizen of Austria, andresident orn Detroit, in the county ot Vfayne and State ot Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap Switches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in electrical switches,more particularly to that type which is known as snapswitches.

rlhe main object of the invention is to provide a switch of the typementioned, whereby a quiclr opening and, incidentally, a quick closingoi" the electrical circuit may be ettected by a switch comprising aminimum nuInber ot parts, all ot which are constructed with a view toeconomy in manufacture.

`With these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear asthe nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists inthe combination, arrangement and construction ot parts hereinafterdescribed, pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be madein the size and proportion of the several parts and ldetails ofconstruction Within the scope ot the appended claim, without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. n

One or" the many possible embodiments ot the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a switchconstructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3dS of Fig.`

1, showing the elements in positions other than those shown .in Fig.4 2of the drawings; Figs. l and 5 are similar sections showing the elementsin still other positions; yand Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6 6 ofFig. 2, on a larger scale.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a hase made ot suitablevinsulating material. From this base rises a standard 11, having uninwardly bent horizontal. portion 12, iu which is provided an ajviertureln aliqument with this aperture there is Aformed in the l rse auaperture 14, that is, preferably, quadrangular in configuration and of asize substantially smaller than that of the aperture 1?). A plunger 15of insulating material extends slidably through the aperture-s 13 and14, it projecting above the horizontal portion 12 of the standard 11, asclearly shown at 16, the portion 16 constituting the push button of theswitch. The lower section 17 of the plunger, which is reduced in size,is of quadrangular cross section and fits the aperture l111, itprojecting into a recess 18 in the underface of the base 10. Around thereduced portion 17 of the plunger is wound a spring 19, one of its endsbearing against the upper face of the vbase and its other end against ashoulder 20 on the plunger. 1n order to limit the upward movement of theplunger, there is a pin 21 extended through the lower portion thereof,said pin being disposed within the recess 18.

` On the base 10 are mounted two substantially vertically extendingbrush contacts 22 and 28, each in the form of a blade spring and inelectrical contact with binding posts 24, to which the electric wires,not shown, are connected. rlhe brush contact 22 is provided adjacent itsupper end with an out,A wardly extending horizontal portion 25,terminating in an upwardly and inwardly ex tending inclined portion 26.rlhe brush contact 23, Aon the other hand, te 'minates in an inwardlyextending horizontal portion 27, from which extends downwards andinwards an inclined section 28. lith the brush contacts co-operates abridge contact 29, mounted within a longitudinal slot 30 in the plunger15, it being carried by a pivot pin 31, that extends through the saidplunger. On the said pivot pin is furthermore mounted an insulatingstrip 32, that extends at right angles to the said bridge contact, whichis also made in the form ot a strip, the two strips being recessed, asclearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings and dtted one into another, soas to rotate together on the said pivot pin. Thel two strips constitutethus a cross having branches ot. equal length, their ends lgieingVwedge-shaped for co-operation with the ends of Vthe brush contacts. Thecross rotates, in the ope ation ot the switch, in the direction ot thearrow shown in Fig. 5 oi. the drawings, as will hereinafter appear andthe wedges on the ends of each strip are so 'formed that their inclinededges B3 lit and extend in parallel relatioi'i to the inclined portions26 and 28 of the brush contacts 22 and 23, respectively, when a stripextends horizontally on the plunger 15, As appears from the severalfigures of the drawings, the ends of the strips project beyond theplunger when extending horizontally, one of the brush contacts beingdisposed on one side of the said plunger and the other one at adiainetrically opposite point thereof. TheV distance, measured on thelongitudinal axis of the plunger 15, between the horizontal portions 25and 27 or' the brush contacts22 and 23, respectively, corresponds to thewidth of a branch of the cruciorin body.

The operation of the switch is as follows: vWhen the elements are in thepositions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the electric circuit is open,inasmuch as the bridge contact 29 does not establish a connectionbetween the stationary brush contacts 22 and 23. In these positions ofthe elements, the insulating strip abuts against the horizontal sections25 and 2.7 of the brush contacts 22 and 23, respectively, the horizontalsection 25 of the brush contact 22 being disposed below and thehorizontal section 27 of the brush contact 23 being disposed above thesaid insulating` strip. ln closing the switch, the plunger 15 is forceddownwards in the direction oi the arrow shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.The insulating strip 32 and the bridge contact 29 inoving therewith. Thehorizontal section 25 of the brush'contact 22 being in engagement withone end of the insulating strip 32, retards the movement of the saidend, whereby the opposite end of the said insulating strip swingsdownwards, the eleinents being then in the positions shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. ln continuing the downward inovement of the plunger, thesaid insulating strip swings further on its pivot carrying with it thebridge contact until the latter projects beyond the plunger. Vlien nowthe plunger is released, the spring 19 causes the same to inove in theopposite direction, whereby irst one end of the bridge contact isbrought to bear against the horizontal portion 27 of the brush contact23 (Fig. 4), causing the other end of the said bridge contact, in thefurther upward inoveinent of the plunger, to turn around the saidhorizontal portion 27 as a fulcruin, until it is brought into horizontalposition at the end oi' the upward niov'einent of the plunger (Fig. 5),thereby closing the circuit. During the lat# ter part oi' the upwardinoveinent of the plunger that end oi" the bridge contact which is incontact with the brush contact 22 forces the latter outwards, itspringing back into place as soon as the bridge contact has passed thejunction point between Vthe horizontal portion 25 thereof and itssubstantially vertical body portion.

ln order to open the circuit, the plunger is forced downwards and thenreleased, the bridge Vcontact taking the place of the insulating strip32 in the operation above described.

It is to be observed that the contact inaliing bridge 29 is, due to theaction 03": the spring 19 and the spring brush contacts 22 and 23,effectively prevented troni resting in any halfway position and thustroni establishing an arc. lt is also to be noted that in the operationof the switch the contact is suddenly established and interrupted,whereby an instantaneous inake and break is insured.

rlhe elements of the switch nray be enclosed in a casing, having anopening, through which the push button 1G projects.

It is to be noted that the brush contacts effectively lock the bridgecontact in both oi' its extrcine positions.

lNhat l. claim is z* Y A snap-switch comprising a base, a plungershii'tably arranged thereon, a cruciforin body pivoted to said plunger,the four branches of said cruciforin body being oi equal length andformed Valternately of insulating niaterial and of electric conductingmaterial, the electricity conducting branches being in electric contact,two spaced brush contacts on said base in operative relation to saidcruciforin body, said brush contacts being in the forni of blade springsand one of the saine having its free end bent toward said plunger andthe other one having a bend extending in parallel relation to said firstmentioned bend below the Vlatter at a distance which corresponds to thewidth of a branch of' said cruciforin nie1n ber, the branches of saidcrucii'orin ineinbcr being adapted to project beyond said plunger so asto contact with said bends when at right angles to the longitudinal axisot' said plunger, and a spring co-operating with said plunger forreturning the latter to its norinal position after having been forcedtoward said base.

Signed at Detroit, in the county of l/Vayne, and. lState of Michigan,this 18th day of December, A. D. 1922.

FRANK l/VQDlTSCl-l.

